Atari blackmails Llamasoft with lawsuits into removing Txk from PSN, criting that "Jeff Minter purpo - Polidicks

[quote]In a series of tweets the clearly upset Minter accused Atari of becoming a "copyright troll", and said TxK for the PC, PS4, Oculus Rift, GearVR and Android platforms "will now never see the light of day". So yeah all the stuff we had ready or near ready will now never see the light of day.No TxK PC, PS4, Oculus, GearVR, Android. Thank "Atari". Jeff Minter (llamasoft_ox) March 18, 2015 Despite the fact Minter is the creator of Tempest 2000, it appears the Atari of today - the company behind the upcoming RollerCoaster Tycoon World and a fitness mobile game - has taken issue with TxK expanding its audience. According to Minter, Atari claimed he "must have stolen Atari secrets from the original creators to make TxK", and the soundtrack was "indistinguishable" from the soundtrack of Tempest 2000. [url]http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-03-18-jeff-minter-beyond-disgusted-with-atari-over-txk-block[/url][/quote] So basically, Here is what they are claiming from Jeff's mouth. He posted this on his site which is getting hammered right now. You can read his post on pastebin right now. [url]http://pastebin.com/HHCZwyEd[/url] Here's one of the letters they sent him [url]http://minotaurproject.co.uk/YakImages/surprised_and_dismayed.pdf[/url] - TxK has jumping, thus it was stolen from tempest - TxK has a soundtrack similar from Tempest, thus it was stolen. - TxK has a AI Droid like in Tempest, thus it was stolen - TxK uses Atari's likeness to promote the game (wait what) - TxK tries to cash in on Atari's copyrighted Tempest name with it's obscure name. Also it seems like Atari's lawyers are trying to say that Jeff had "little to do" with Tempest 2000. This is the face of the undead Atari. A few months ago, A couple of emails got leaked from several of their heads that seem like they were completely retarded and a bunch of assholes. I guess this only just adds to that. Mind you, They were talking about how to get turn their remaining IPs into movie titles.

[QUOTE=timothy80;47349737][b]Mind you, They were talking about how to get turn their remaining IPs into movie titles.[/b][/QUOTE] [url=http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1173375/images/o-ATARI-LANDFILL-facebook.jpg]And Atari tying themselves to movies worked so well in the past.[/url] Bunch of Grade-A assholes are what they are now.

[video=youtube;Q2TTa0z2o0M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2TTa0z2o0M[/video] I'm not quite sure of the legality of the game, it is pretty much just Tempest with a different name, but I don't know much about law in stuff like this.

I have never ever heard of Tempest 2000 Somebody should tell Atari to fuck off [editline]18th March 2015[/editline] Although, watching this video, I kinda feel like playing this game in virtual reality is probably a quite surefire way of inducing a migraine in yourself. [editline]18th March 2015[/editline] Okay, no, I looked up what Tempest 2000 was alike and it was REALLY alike this game, like, uncannily alike. There was even that "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!" [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NVLXA05Lx8[/media] That honestly kinda really is a ripoff.

[QUOTE=Starlight 456;47349891][video=youtube;Q2TTa0z2o0M]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2TTa0z2o0M[/video] I'm not quite sure of the legality of the game, it is pretty much just Tempest with a different name, but I don't know much about law in stuff like this.[/QUOTE] All the power ups are named the same, the gameplay is wholly intact, not to mention your 'ship' is the same icon. Even has the yes yes yes chants from Tempest 2000. About the only name change to avoid copyright is Supertapper instead of Superzapper. My kneejerk reaction to Atari in general aside, the soundtrack and the 'using Atari's likeness' bits are BS, but otherwise the game is literally and unabashedly a renamed Tempest.

This is the important part: [quote]Wouldn't it be nice if there were actually some kind of precedent set that determined how different a game had to be to be considered a different game legally? Well, it just so happens there is, and it involves Tempest 2000 and Atari! Do you remember there was a Playstation port of Tempest 2000 called "Tempest X"? I always wondered why the name was changed, and other little aspects of the gameplay were altered. years later I managed to chat online with the guy who did the port, and he told me that the changes were made "to reduce the royalty burden". How so? Well, my original arrangement with Atari was that I was to receive a royalty on any ports of Tempest 2000. "Tempest X" was made exactly enough different that it would be legally considered a different game, cutting me out of any royalties. Now Tempest X: - was derived from my source code; - had exactly the same soundtrack; - used the same kind of powerup progression as Tempest 2000; - had a changed name, some extra background effects, and some different web shapes; - but was close enough to Tempest 2000 that *Tempest 2000 was available as a hidden unlockable by entering a specific word into the highscore table*. (Furry friends will be amused to hear that that word was "yiff"). Yet now "Atari" claim that TxK is in fact *closer* legally to Tempest 2000 than Tempest X was.[/quote]

It looks like Tempest 2000 got a makeover tbh, compare both versions together and it's extremely too similar. Atari's doing nothing wrong here

[QUOTE=Billy2600;47350219]This is the important part:[/QUOTE] A lot has happened with Atari since Tempest X, though. I think it's a little unfair to act as if Atari is the same company as it was 19 years ago.

I'm confused. He made Tempest 2000 right? So how exactly can he rip off his own game? Kinda like saying Mighty No.9 is a ripoff of MegaMan.

[QUOTE=Vipes;47359792]I'm confused. He made Tempest 2000 right? So how exactly can he rip off his own game? Kinda like saying Mighty No.9 is a ripoff of MegaMan.[/QUOTE] Simple. He made the game under contract with Atari, and since Atari now owns the rights to that game, he can't go republish it and sell it under his own name. He sold Atari the original Tempest in exchange for a salary, now he's on his own trying to sell something he already sold.

[QUOTE=Vipes;47359792]I'm confused. He made Tempest 2000 right? So how exactly can he rip off his own game? Kinda like saying Mighty No.9 is a ripoff of MegaMan.[/QUOTE] The thing is that he doesn't own tempest, and mighty has enough differences in it's gameplay that it is able to be considered a different game. Similar to how megaman and metroid are different even though if you think about it both are based around humanoid characters running in a side-scroller environment with guns for arms. While this game is literally the same(down to powerups and the yes yes yes thing) with a more multifaceted cylinder rather than multiple lanes on a rectangular prism. You don't own content you developed for a company. Mighty's main point of connection is character design and environment, which isn't something that you can sue over, especially with it being the same character designer.

So pretty much all he needs to do is change a few things, like graphic designs and sounds? Why didn't he just do that? He would have avoided a whole lot of headaches.

[QUOTE=Vipes;47363456]So pretty much all he needs to do is change a few things, like graphic designs and sounds?[/QUOTE] Yeah, but the neon colors and wireframe over black background are easy. If they were to change TxK to not resemble Tempest 2k, it would be a huge overhaul. I can't imagine an alternate look for this game.